Infant Temperament and Exclusive Breastfeeding at 6 Months: A Prospective Cohort Study
Elif Bulut1,2, Hacer Kobya Bulut3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Child Health Nursing Department, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Türkiye.
Background:
Infant temperament, a core component of Barnard's Parent-Child Interaction Model, may influence exclusive breastfeeding by shaping mother-infant interactions.
Aim:
To examine the association between infant temperament and exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months.
Methods:
A prospective cohort study was conducted in northern Türkiye (June 2019-January 2020) with 347 mothers of infants aged 0-3 months. Data included sociodemographic, obstetric, and breastfeeding-related information, and infant temperament assessed via the Turkish Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Very Short Form. T-tests and Pearson correlations identified variables for multiple linear regression, which examined breastfeeding duration, while binary logistic regression assessed exclusive breastfeeding status.
Results:
Infants exclusively breastfed for 6 months had higher positive affect scores (p < 0.01). Positive affect was weakly but significantly correlated with breastfeeding duration (r = 0.283, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that positive affect and maternal perception of an "easy" temperament explained 9.2% of the variance in breastfeeding duration. Positive affect significantly predicted exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months (B = 0.044, p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Higher infant positive affect and maternal perception of an "easy" temperament were associated with longer exclusive breastfeeding. Assessing infant temperament and maternal perceptions can help tailor breastfeeding support.
Practice Implications:
Pediatric nurses should assess infant temperament, adapt breastfeeding counseling, and involve fathers and family members to promote breastfeeding sustainability.
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